Congestion Pricing Won't Solve Highway Woes

MICHAEL J. RILEY | OP-EDThe Hartford Courant

I-84 is not a local road. It is critically important part of the federal interstate highway system. In fact, I-84 in Hartford is the busiest highway in the state, with more than 175,000 vehicles per day. It needs to be expanded to increase capacity so as to eliminate a persistent and counterproductive choke point.

Proposals have been made to replace the Aetna Viaduct — an elevated portion of I-84 that runs through the heart of Hartford — "within the current footprint." Some advocate narrowing existing lanes, eliminating shoulders and building so-called Lexus lanes for those willing to pay extra. Lexus lanes use congestion pricing — the toll goes up as traffic increases — and allow solo drivers to switch into high-occupancy travel lanes and get electronically billed. They would speed on their way leaving behind the narrower, more dangerous lanes and continued congestion for trucks and those unable to pay the premium.

The plan to use "congestion pricing" is designed to make it more difficult to travel in Connecticut, unless you pay more money. It's no secret that the system is being designed to force people to use mass transit. At a recent forum on congestion pricing, an "expert" from another state indicated that their Lexus lanes are now becoming congested, so they are considering increasing the "congestion pricing" from $1 to $1.50 per mile, to reduce traffic on those premium lanes. Are you kidding me!

In the 1960s, citizen activists, asserting not-in-my-backyard attitudes toward freeways, blocked highway construction plans that would have allowed traffic to bypass Hartford and connect I-91 and I-84 with beltways around the city. This opposition forced the current congested swath of highways to cut through the capital city. Before we allow the social engineers to screw things up for another 50 years, common sense needs to prevail.

Studies have shown that Americans are willing to pay higher highway user fees if they are sure that the revenues are used for improvements to their transportation system. The citizens of Connecticut, however, do not trust their government to keep its sticky fingers out of the state's Special Transportation Fund. Governors and legislators have regularly raided the fund to spend the money on non-transportation programs. Highway users are sick of having their expensive fees redirected in this way. Before we even start to talk about tolls, we need to pass a state constitutional amendment prohibiting future raids.

We also hear regularly that federal highway funding is drying up, and without new legislation will soon be exhausted. Yet, for 20 years, Congress has not had the guts to increase the federal fuel tax to accommodate inflation. Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy is the only member of the Connecticut delegation, and one of the few members of the U. S. Senate, to have the courage to propose needed gas tax increases. We need the feds to continue to play their important role in providing a proper interstate highway system.

Getting our highways into 21st-century shape is critical for Connecticut's economy but does not mean we should ignore upgrades to our mass transit systems. Transit is extremely expensive. Thankfully, the Metro North Railroad generates the highest percentage of fare box revenue of any transit program in this country. It needs to be supported and expanded. But such funding must be focused to generate the best returns. Little-used extensions such as Shoreline East suck money out of the Special Transportation Fund at an outrageous rate. A round trip from Old Saybrook to New Haven costs a rider $12 ($6 for seniors) yet the Special Transportation Fund subsidy for that ride is $84. This is outrageous, lopsided and unsustainable.

Clearly, the time has long since arrived to improve our highways and transit systems. The key will be spending the money in a way that best serves all drivers and riders.

Michael J. Riley is president of the Motor Transport Association of Connecticut, a trade association representing more than 800 companies that operate trucks in the state.